Rita Ora Gets Graphic

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We've seen many incarnations of graphic liner on the runway lately, from Altuzarra, Mary Katrantzou, and Aquascutum last fall, to Rag and Bone (above) this season, so it's about time someone gave it a shot in real life! But how, exactly, does one translate the avant-garde look into the real world? We asked Rita Ora‘s makeup artist Emma Osborne, who created the above look on the singer for the GQ Men of The Year Awards last week, for tips.

“Rita’s always open to new ideas and really loves to have fun and express herself,” Osborne says. “But we knew we had to do a more wearable version of our inspiration for the event.” To dilute said inspiration—a few of the aforementioned runways and a handful of dramatic editorials—she stuck to a matte, neutral shadow and a thin black line of pigment. “All you need is a steady hand!” she says. Bobbi Brown’s Eyeshadow ($21) in Bone came first, then a line of M.A.C’s Fluidline ($16) in Blacktrack. Line your top lashline, then follow Osbourne’s instructions. “Turn the brush around and keep drawing the line up, keeping in line with the outer corner of your brow,” she says. “Go half way up and just above your socket line draw the line back towards your nose without taking it too far in.”

No matter the bold look you’re copying—brows, lips, or in this case, eyes—keep the rest of your face neutral. For Ora this means she traded her signature red lip for M.A.C.’s Lipmix ($15) in Medium Nude under a coat of gloss. (“A touch of gloss gave the look glamour,” Osborne says.) We say, go graphic!